1. P RINCE G EORGE ’ S C OUNTY F OOD E QUITY C OUNCIL Sydney Daigle Program Coordinator pgfoodcouncil@gmail.com January 29, 2014

2. W HAT IS THE P RINCE G EORGE ’ S C OUNTY F OOD E QUITY C OUNCIL ? T HE PGC FEC is a local food policy council (FPC). FPCs collaborate to creatively improve local food systems and in turn spur economic development improve public health and ensure environmental sustainability. Developed out of existing, and ongoing, regional initiatives Supported by a CDC Community Transformation Grant administered by the Institute for Public Health Innovation January 29, 2014

3. I MPORTANCE OF F OOD P OLICY C OUNCILS January 29, 2014 Food system players operate in “silos” in a broken system FPCs provide a democratic platform for all to join in and repair the cracks Opens a seat for decision makers and community members at the decision making table

4. The mission of the Prince George’s County Food Equity Council is to significantly improve public health and community well-being of all who live, work, study, worship and play in the County. It will develop and support policies, approaches, procedures, practices and initiatives to create systemic change to the local food system, promoting health, economic opportunity, food security, and well-being, especially among communities that have been negatively impacted by the current food system. January 29, 2014

5. W HY F OOD E QUITY ? January 29, 2014 Food Equity means meaning able to find healthy, affordable, sustainable, culturally-appropriate, safe food in all neighborhoods. It also means working toward justice and economic opportunity from seed to fork. For the Prince George’s County Food Equity Council, the bottom line is people, not just food.

6. January 29, 2014 L IMITED S UPERMARKET A CCESS IN THE C OUNTY More than.5 miles from supermarket More than 1 mile from supermarket 4% of low-income Maryland residents live more than 1 mile to a supermarket 5%, or 35,699, of low-income Prince George residents live more than 1 mile to a supermarket 45% of County Census Tracts have low-income residents with more than.5 miles distance to a supermarket Source: USDA Food Access Research Atlas

7. E NVIRONMENT AL INFLUENCE OF FAST FOOD NEAR SCHOOLS January 29, 2014 Graphic Source: Maryland Food System Map-John Hopkins Students with fast- food restaurants within one half mile of their school consumed less fruits and vegetables, consumed more soda, and were more likely to be overweight or obese. This result is unique to fast food restaurants. Proximity of Fast-Food Restaurants to Schools and Adolescent Obesity Davis and Carpenter, 2009 http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/a rticles/PMC2661452/

8. W HO W E A RE : January 29, 2014 University of Maryland Extension Bowie State University ECO City Farms Safeway Giant PGC Council Member Eric Olson University of Maryland, Dining Services Capital Area Food Bank Department of Social Services PGC Planning Department PGC Schools Food and Nutrition Services Greenbelt Farmers Market Maryland Hunger Solutions PGC Health Department John Hopkins Priority Partners Share Our Strength Apple Grove Civic Association RepresentationBreakdown

9. P RELIMINARY W ORKGROUPS : Healthy Eating and Nutrition Education Healthy Food Retail Local Food Production January 29, 2014

10. G OALS Develop and advance comprehensive policies to address the social determinants of food equity and related health effects Integrate food system planning into all County economic and community development Ensure food equity for all who eat in the County Expand the reach of nutrition programs for low- income people Create countywide awareness of the role food plays in health January 29, 2014

11. What have FPCs accomplished? FPC LOCATIONACTIVITY New Mexico Food & Agriculture Policy Council Expanded farm to school funding; expanded funding for NMSU Extension support for tribal nations; stopped the sale of sugary soft drinks in schools and replaced them with fruit juices and water Cleveland/Cuyahoga County FPC Secured zoning changes to protect community gardens, urban farms, and the raising of chickens and bees Hartford, Connecticut FPC Worked with city WIC agency to improve service delivery; restored WIC caseload to 10,000 from 6,000 persons Kansas City, Missouri FPC Prepared several policy briefs; modernized KC’s agriculture zoning code; co-hosted food summit; conducted a food issues survey with candidates for local office New Orleans Food Policy Advisory Committee Helped formulate the Fresh Food Retailer Initiative, which leverages public and private funds to provide low-interest and forgivable loans for food retailers who commit to sell fresh fruits and vegetables in underserved neighborhoods. Source: Doing Food Policy Councils Right, Mark Winne Associates, 2012

12. F OOD P OLICY C OUNCILS : L ESSONS L EARNED C HALLENGES Dependence on one strong personality, organization or political figure Lack of funding “Single-issue” focus Over-committing to specific programs Source: Food Policy Councils: Lessons Learned, 2009 Harper et al.

13. F OOD P OLICY C OUNCILS : L ESSONS L EARNED K EY R ECOMMENDATIONS Engage members across different sectors of the food system and from different socio-economic backgrounds and draw from a diverse, but organized base Establish priorities and agree on some kind of a strategic plan from the outset Establish clear structures for decision-making, communication and evaluation from the beginning Examine structural trade offs between being within or independent of government, how the council is funded, and what issues the council chooses to prioritize Make sure to include elements of self-education (for members) and public education Diversify political and internal leadership support Evaluate and monitor the effects of the councils’ policies and/or activities Source: Food Policy Councils: Lessons Learned, 2009 Harper et al.

14. Why an INDEPENDENT FPC? STRENGTHSCHALLENGES More community control Less political accountability and legitimacy Fewer bureaucratic restraints Lack of buy-in with public officials Diverse sources of funding Staffing concerns Source: Doing Food Policy Councils Right, Mark Winne Associates, 2012

15. F OOD E QUITY C OUNCIL Models and best practices adopted by the FEC: Decisions by consensus Council member buy-in Meetings Leadership positions Committees Community buy-in Engagement efforts Forum Recognition by governing institutions Policy focus January 29, 2014

16. Thank you! Sydney Daigle Prince George’s County Food Equity Council Program Coordinator (240) 253-1036 pgfoodcouncil@gmail.com